Final Boxscore (pdf)

DAYTON, Ohio – The North Florida basketball team got 18 points from senior Beau Beech but were unable to overcome a second half surge by Dayton in an 86-71 loss Saturday afternoon at UD Arena.

With the loss in their sixth road game in a seven-game span, UNF slips to 6-4 on the season. Beech led the way for the Ospreys connecting on 6 of 8 three-point attempts including making his first five tries. 

Junior Dallas Moore finished with 15 points including 11 in the second half while also topping the squad with seven rebounds and six assists. Chris Davenport added 12 points and three blocked shots.

UNF, the nation's top three-point shooting team, continued its strong performance from long range hitting nine treys in the first half en route to a total of 14 for the game. It marked the squad's eighth game with a double-digit total.

The Ospreys used an early 13-4 spurt to grab a 20-13 lead with 12 minutes left in the first half. Beech, Davenport and Trent Mackey each hit consecutive threes during the run. The Flyers responded with a 17-6 run capped by nine straight points to grab the lead, 30-26.

The squads swapped the lead over the closing five minutes of the period with Dayton carrying a 38-35 lead into the break.

After trading baskets to open the second half, Dayton broke things open with a 21-3 run as the Ospreys struggled for just nine points thru the first eight minutes of play. The Flyers would build as large as a 24-point advantage, 70-46, before UNF slowly began chipping away.

Mackey hit a pair of free throws to make the score, 80-67, with three minutes remaining but the Ospreys could get no closer as Dayton held on for their 26th consecutive home victory.

"Our guys again demonstrated their grit and resiliency," said head coach Matthew Driscoll. "Have to give credit to Dayton for getting things rolling in the second half. We tried to answer but just weren't able to get the key stops we got during the first half. We also had some good looks that just didn't go in for us in the second half. We are excited to be going home after a long road trip with the chance to get in some real practice time. This team will continue to grow and improve."

North Florida will have a week off from competition for fall semester exams before returning to the hardwood Dec. 12 against Coastal Georgia at UNF Arena. The game marks the start of a four-game home stand for the Ospreys.